Employees who work more than their usual hours may be entitled to overtime pay. Overtime pay is extra wages given to an employee for working over their regular schedule. This can happen, for example, if an employee picks up a shift for a co-worker, is asked by a manager to stay later or works longer to meet deadlines.
California has unique overtime pay laws, often paying employees overtime wages based on the number of hours worked in a day and a week. It is crucial that employees understand how much they may receive in overtime to help ensure they are not having their wages stolen. Here is what you should know:
How much overtime are you entitled to?
An employee may be paid one and one-half times their typical wages if they work more than 8 hours in a workday but less than 12 hours. Furthermore, an employee may receive this same pay rate for the first 8 hours worked on the seventh consecutive day in a workweek or for all hours worked past 40 hours in a workweek. Employees may receive double their pay rate for working 12 hours in a workday or more than 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day in a workweek.
Who is entitled to overtime?
There are certain limitations to who can receive overtime pay. In California, exempt jobs can include executive or administrative positions, computer professionals, contracted workers or salaried workers.
What if you are not paid overtime for your extra work?
If an employee worked extra hours but did not receive overtime pay, they may need to discuss the issue with their employer. If an employee still cannot receive their entitled wages, they may need to seek legal guidance to learn how to recover stolen wages.